Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.

Alternate wiring method for Fertigator

Let me know your thoughts on this. I currently have a 12 zone sprinkler system. I'm considering installing the Fertigator, but am not sure I need to actually purchase an extra controller (i.e. the AR-1 only serves 8 zones). Since several of my zones would require the same fertilizer delivery, can't I just hook those zones to one zone on the fertigator?

i.e. If I know zones 1 through 5 should have the same fertilizer setting, could I run wires from those 5 zones on my controller to one zone on the fertigator controller? This would save me from purchasing another controller.

I left a key part out of my above post. Obviously, if you hook several zones from the controller into one zone on the Fertigator, when one of the controller zones kicks on, the low voltage power would also follow the wires back and attempt to open all zones you have attached to one node on the Fertigator. (Most likely the controller wouldn't have enough power to open all the zones and you would have PSI, GPM, and voltage issues.)

So, with this in mind, I do understand I would have to also install some sort of capacitor or a one way voltage flow on the lines coming from the controller to the Fertigator.

This might sound confusing, but I still think it might work and save a few bucks.

Actually you don't even need to go to that trouble. Just hook the one zone on the fertigator to the common valve line on your sprinkler system. It will then use that line for all of the zones that don't have a connection to a fertigator controller zone. I've had mine wired this way for 2 years and no problems. I love this product, as long as I put down a heavy granular dose to start the season!